SRAM’s Eulogy to the Front Derailleur

It’s no secret that SRAM is out to kill the front derailleur on mountain bikes — and even a good chunk of road bikes. The recent introduction of entry-level SRAM NX for mountain bikes and Apex 1 for road bikes now makes the 1×11 transformation complete.

For years, we’ve all dealt with that unnecessary shifter, the added weight, dropped chains, chain suck, cage rubbing and ongoing maintenance, but those times have passed. Many bikes no longer come with front derailleur mounts and even long-time front derailleur holdout (ahem, Shimano) is making 1x drivetrains. It is 2016 after all and it’s finally time to let it go. Let that front derailleur ride off into the sunset inside the garbage truck. It’s time to simplify the drivetrain, lose some weight and eliminate half of your shifting frustration.

About Author

A Seattle native, Jason developed a love for the outdoors and a thing for mountains. That infatuation continues as he founded this site in 1999 --sharing his love of road biking, mountain biking, trail running and skiing. That passion is channeled into every article or gear review he writes. Utah's Wasatch Mountains are his playground.